Ruth Yitanes

Ruth Yitanes is a former union organizer turned politico whose endorsement is crucial to Darren Richmond's mayoral campaign. Brash and tough-talking, she quickly takes command of any room she walks into. After Rosie Larsen's body is found in a car rented by his campaign, Richmond risks angering the councilwoman by withholding the information until after she announces her support, calculating that she'll want to spare the embarrassment of reversing course.

When Yitanes finds out about the Larsen case's connection to the Richmond campaign, she immediately yanks her support. Before she can announce it publicly, however, Richmond convinces her to keep endorsing him by offering to give her husband a lucrative city plumbing contract. Richmond later withdraws the contract offer after learning Yitanes planted someone in his campaign (communications aide Nathan Patrick) who leaked damaging information to the press, and threatens to have Yitanes arrested for a felony if she withdraws her endorsement. As a parting shot, Yitanes informs Gwen that Richmond investigated her emails while looking for the leak.